Range apparatus



Dec. 29, 1953 Filed Sept. 19, 1950 P. M. WEYRICK RANGE APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Paul M. Weyrick wy, ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 29, 1953 z fi gg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE RANGE APPARATUS Paul M. Wcyrick, Ashland, Ohio, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 19, 1950, Serial No. 185,609 6 Claims. (01. 219-37) This invention relates to a deep well cooker by support the casing. A plurality of vertically for an electric range and more particularly to elongated slots 35', are provided in the wall 28 a deep well cooker in which the heating unit and are preferably equidistant to each other. may be elevated to serve as a surface heating A wide slot having substantially the same unit. height as slots l l is also provided in the wall 28 It is object of the invention to provide a and is preferably spaced equidistantly from the two-level cooking unit which may be elevated adjacent slots The lower of slot exvto a surface heating position and positively tends into the bottom wall 30.

locked in such position. An electrical heating unit 33 is disposed within it is another object of the invention to provide the casing 23. The heating unit may be provided a two-level cooking unit which has a reduced with a heater ill of the sheathed type, formed number or parts, is relatively inexpensive to to provide a horizontal heating surface portion.

fland is 3 perate. It is provided with a plurality of terminal por- It is still another object to provide a twotions 42 which extend outwardly through the slot l v l o s n h v n m th inn r surfa e as to a common terminal blocl: cs wherein cono,.

thereby facilitating maintenance of cleanliness nections to a power supply may be made. The in the unit. sheathed heater is circular in plan and is adapted These and other objects are efiected y y to support a cooking vessel as shown in dotinvention as will be apparent from the followend-dash lines in Fig. 1. The sheathed heater 1 description and claims taken in connection is supported by a plurality of radial members 48 With t fico l a yi g drawings, fo m n a part which are equally spaced from each other and of this application, in which: have extended support arms which extend 1 i a side leva ion of a two-lev l c king outwardly through the slots The arms 50 unit constructed in accordance with my invenare supported at the lower edges of the slots 34 t: n, the heating unit being shown in its lower 5 when the heating unit is in the lower position. positic The heating unit 33 is jointly rotatable with F 2 s a S-Se tiOn take On l e II-H the casing 26 but is movable vertically with reof 1, e left hand portion being taken at a spect to the same. Adjacent the lower edge of than t e right h 1 0 0 each slot a horizontal pad 52 is provided by 1 1. 1 lower 15'.

s- 3 is B SD C W V ew f the ov 3O embossing upwardly a small portion of the bot- ,ocker with the heating unit in an intermediate t m wall A large bearing surface is thus p r ns being cut w y f l ity; provided which enables the heating unit to be amply supported when the casing is made of o elevation similar to Pie. 1.- u soft light-gauge material such as aluminum.

n t locked i i HD1 IS The support ring is has a plurality of vertically 0 h fi especially Figs 1 L extending notches 54 which are in registry with is shown a two-level cooking u it it the slots as when the heating unit is in the a in a conventional range pl tf m it lower position as shown in Figs. 1 and The l mil-firm i5 D With all 13 2 dcfilwlower end of each notch 55. is open and is preferfi depending flail-g9 21W} 11 0001* w ably divergent while the upper end of each notch s i t 59 R p d d W 8. all-Hula? upp comir-u icates with a. laterally exte. ding slot 11s is disp s -:1 the op in The p rt or horizontal ledge portion W 3 Ila-WOW fiy fifi him-$1 The casing 28 is keyed to the support ring l8 on and an outwardly extending annular t prevent angular movement of t casing m- 'l fi 6 e platform i The $112} tive to the ring, except under conditions which 5 rims 5 igidly attached to fi p fi will subsequently be described, while being freely manner, although p c y slidable therein in vertical direction. The keying e h wn it t h pl t rm fianc structure includes two V-shaped notches 5B and vets 53:3. respectively, formed in the support ring l8 Shown in i in adjoining relation, and a vertically extending id'ica-l w l rib formed in the casing 25. The distance rably received wit iin the between the centers of the notches is substantial- The edge of the "We-.11 28 is ly equal to the length of the slots The rib e ly to provide peripheral flange is provided by outwardly embossing a portion which normally overlies the flange 22 to there of the casing and has a cross-sectional shape accrues similar to that of the notches 58 and Gil to permit slidable engagement therewith. The rib is somewhat shorter in length than the slots 34 but is upwardly displaced therefrom and is preferably extended up to the flange 32 for a purpose which will be explained later.

To facilitate vertical movement of the casing, a of diametrically opposed handles 66 are hingeably mounted on the flange 32.

The annular flange it may also be provided with two notches equal in size and spacing to the notches 58 and EU to permit proper seating of the support ring 58 in the platform opening, but obviously they are not essential, since the platform opening may be made larger than shown. Also, the band 253 of the support ring l8 has a cut-away portion 52 substantially wider than the slot and substantially in registry therewith.

To elevate the heating unit to its upper or surface cooking position, the vessel is first lifted from the casing 26. The handles 63 are then grasped and the casing is lifted vertically to its upper limit of travel as shown in Fig. 3.

Since the heating unit is supported within the 1 casing by the support arms til, the heating unit will be carried to its upper position when the casing is raised. The support arms of the heating unit will be received by the notches 54 and their subsequent abutment against the upper 11 end of the notches determines the upper limit of travel of the heating unit and the casing and prevents disengagement of the casing from the support ring 43. The rib E l is thereby lifted out of engagement with casing and permitting rotation of the casing in clockwise direction only (as viewed in Fig. 2). The casing is then rotated in clockwise direction, carrying the heater with it, until the support arms 58 abut the ends of the slots 55 and terminate further rotation. The lower edge of each of the slots 56 may be bent outwardly to provide pads 538 which provide large bearing surfaces for the support arms 50. At the end of such rotational movement the rib 64 is aligned with the notch as. The casing may now be lowered to its lower level shown in Fig. 4, leaving the heating unit in the upper position where it is supported by support ring it. The rib is now in engagement with notch 69 which also looks the casing against rotation in the same manner as notch 58.

To lower the heating unit to the lower or deep well cookin position the above sequence of operations is reversed.

The slot 36 serves as a clearance opening for the heater terminals @2 and the terminal block it, and permits the heating unit to be moved vertically with respect to the casing; while the cutaway portion 52 serves as a clearance opening for the terminals and terminal block and permits the heating unit to be rotated horizontally as well as to be moved to the upper position.

The casing may be provided with an opening is in its bottom wall st to permit spillage of food to drain from the cooking unit. The inner surface of the casing wall 28 may be cleaned easily when the heating unit is in the lower position, since the support ring is disposed ex- -teriorly of the casing and presents no interfering surfaces or sharp edges which would otherwise catch a cloth or abrade the fingers of the user. The inner surface of the bottom wall also may be. rendered accessible for cleaning by grasping one of the support arms 55 and tilting the heatthe notch 58, unlocking the ;;r

a ing unit about the other two support arms as pivots.

When the heating unit is in its upper or surface cooking position, it cannot under any ciroumstances be dislodged from the supporting pads 65 except by lifting the casing 26 to its full limit, as shown in Fig. 3, and disengaging the rib 64 from the notch 60; since, as previously mentioned, the heating unit is not rotatable relative to the casing and the casing may only be rotated when the rib cs is disengaged from its mating notches 58 and 553.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a two-level cooking unit that has relatively few components, is inexpensive to manufacture, is

easy to operate and is reliable in performance.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

What I claim is:

1. An adjustable level cooking unit comprising a support ring element, a cylindrical casing element movable within said support ring, an electrical heating unit horizontally disposed within said casing and adjustable to upper and lower positions, said casing having a plurality of vertically elongated slots and said heating unit having a plurality of arms extending through said slots whereby the rotative position of said heating element is controlled by said casing, said support ring having a plurality of horizontally disposed ledges for supporting said heater in the upper position and in a first rotative position, said heating unit being supported in the lower position by said casing and being movable between said upper and lower positions by said casing, said casing and said support ring having cooperating keying members including a locking member provided on one of said elements and a pair of spaced mating members provided on the other of said elements, said locking member being adapted to engage and be slidably confined by either of said mating members, said casing element being thereby locked against rotation but slidable in an axial direction, said locking member disengaging said mating mem-- here when the casing is in the upper position, thereby permitting rotation of said casing when in the upper position to move said heating unit into and out of engagement with said ledges, said locking member registering with one of said mating" members when said heating unit is in said first rotative position in which it is in engagement with said ledges and registering with the other of said mating members when said heating unit is in a second rotative position out of en agement with said ledges.

2. The structure recited in claim 1 in which said locking member is a rib provided in said casing and said mating members are recessed portions provided in said support ring, said rib having a substantially greater vertical len th than said recessed portions but having a substantially lesser vertical length than said casing.

3. The structure recited in claim 1 in which said support ring has a peripheral sheet metal wall and said ledges are provided by horizontally extending slots formed in said wall, each of said slots having one end opening downwardly and adapted to receive one of said arms.

4. An adjustable level cooking unit comprising a support ring element, a cylindrical sheet metal casing element rotatable and axially slidable 5 within said support ring, said support ring being substantially shorter in axial direction than said casing, an electrical heating unit horizontally disposed within said casing and adjustable to upper and lower positions by said casing, said casing having a plurality of vertically elongated slots and said heating unit having a plurality of arms extending outwardly through said slots, said heating unit being supported in the lower position by said casing and being jointly rotatable i":

therewith, said support ring having a plurality of horizontally disposed ledges, and said heating unit being elevatable to said upper position by said casing, said casing being rotatable when elevated to effect engagement of said arms with said ledges, said ledges thereby supporting said heating unit in said upper position, said support ring having a vertically disposed passage adjacent each of said ledges and in communication therewith for guiding said arms into engagement with said ledges, and means for looking said casing against rotation but permitting vertical movement when said casing and said heating unit are in the lower position, said locking means being arranged to guide said arms into registry with said passages and comprising a vertically elongated keying member on said casing and a substantially shorter mating keying member on said support ring.

5. An adjustable level cooking unit comprising a support ring, a cylindrical casing movable within said support ring, an electrical heating unit disposed horizontally within said casing and adjustable to upper and lower positions, said casing having a plurality of vertically elongated slots and said heating unit having a plurality of arms extending outwardly through said slots, whereby the rotative position of said heating unit is controlled by said casing, said support ring having a plurality of horizontally disposed ledges for supporting said arms in a first rotative position of the heating unit and said casing, a vertical passage displaced angularly from each of said ledges for permitting vertical movement of said arms in a second rotativ position of said heating unit and said casing, and a passage providing for horizontal movement of said arms between said vertical passages and said ledges, said heating unit being supported by said casing at the lower end thereof when said heating unit is in said second rotative position and adapted to be raised and lowered by said casing, said casing and said support ring having cooperating keying members for retaining said casing against rotation from said first and second rotative positions, said keying members including a locking member provided on one of said elements and a plurality of angularly spaced mating members provided on the other of said elements, the lreying member or members on one of said elements being vertically elongated, said keyin members being positioned to be disengaged to permit rotative movement of said casing when the latter is in its uppermost position, said mating members being positioned to be engaged by said looking member when said casing is in first and second rotative positions, respectively, and serving, upon downward movement or" said casing, to retain the casing against rotation but to permit vertical sliding thereof, whereby said heating unit is positively locked on said ledges wh n in the upper position.

6. The structure recited in claim 5 in which said locking member is disposed on said casing and said mating members are disposed on said ring.

PAUL M. WEYRICK.

Cited in the file of this patent UNITED PATENTS Num er Name Date 2,481,227 Kuenne Sept. 6, 1949 2,485.698 Chesser et a1. Oct. 25, 19i9 2,485,990 Snow Oct. 25, 1949 2,497,258 Chesser et al. Feb. 14, 1950 2,548,158 Henyan Apr. 10, 1951 ,5 1,441 Kuenne May 1, 1951 

